Another pointless exercise. The rating is not for gymnastics or figure skating. It does not matter what your form looks like. Only thing that matters is whether or not you are competitive against other computer rated players. All this discussion amount to jack squat. If you want a rating go out and play.

USTA 4.5 leagues around here consists of a lot of former college players and current teaching pros. In spite of the "Rising mental toughness" of these players, they wouldn't know what hit them. It wouldn't be remotely competitively.

When I was on the mens 4.5 tour my agent would sit in the stands and listen to what others would say about me. Some would mock my mental instabilities. Others would prognosticate on my eventual rise to 4.5 GOAThood.

My favorites were:

1. He's as cool as ice - like Borg
2. He's a basket case
3. He just broke the new Sampras 88 racquet on the net post.
4. That guy is not a 3.5
5. He's wearing Nike - he must be solid.
6. He's a head case
7. He will never be a rising 5.0
8. He has a Sampras 6 pack GOAT bag
9. If you call out close balls he will scream and wig out and surely lose
10. He has spider veins on his cankles - I wonder if he's anemic

When I was on the mens 4.5 tour my agent would sit in the stands and listen to what others would say about me. Some would mock my mental instabilities. Others would prognosticate on my eventual rise to 4.5 GOAThood.

My favorites were:

1. He's as cool as ice - like Borg
2. He's a basket case
3. He just broke the new Sampras 88 racquet on the net post.
4. That guy is not a 3.5
5. He's wearing Nike - he must be solid.
6. He's a head case
7. He will never be a rising 5.0
8. He has a Sampras 6 pack GOAT bag
9. If you call out close balls he will scream and wig out and surely lose
10. He has spider veins on his cankles - I wonder if he's anemic

> USTA 4.5 leagues around here consists of a lot of former
> college players and current teaching pros. In spite of the
> "Rising mental toughness" of these players, they wouldn't
> know what hit them. It wouldn't be remotely competitively.

I sometimes play against a former CMU player and he plays with 4.0 and 4.5 players. He would destroy any of these players. He has flat, hard strokes but can also hit slice and topspin shots, has a killer volley and a very good serve. He's trim and lean but he's in his 60s which is probably why he plays mostly with 4.0 and 4.5 players.

I sometimes play against a former CMU player and he plays with 4.0 and 4.5 players. He would destroy any of these players. He has flat, hard strokes but can also hit slice and topspin shots, has a killer volley and a very good serve. He's trim and lean but he's in his 60s which is probably why he plays mostly with 4.0 and 4.5 players.

There are many places where there are no leagues above the 4.5 level because there are not enough advanced players. In truth a lot of the 4.5 players around here were ranked 5.0 and 5.5. They are former D1 players who are now teaching pros who have no where to play except the 4.5 leagues.

I know there are a few people who get insulted when they are told that they do not play as well as they think but that's no reason for honest people to mislead them.

What's so bad about being an intermediate recreational player? That's what these guys are. They are clearly not advanced in any areas

> There are many places where there are no leagues
> above the 4.5 level because there are not enough
> advanced players. In truth a lot of the 4.5 players
> around here were ranked 5.0 and 5.5. They are former
> D1 players who are now teaching pros who have no
> where to play except the 4.5 leagues.

That may be the case with him. There are more players in the Boston area but that's a bit over an hour away. This guy has done some teaching but he spends most of his time doing CS work (which is what you'd expect from a guy that went to CMU).

> I know there are a few people who get insulted when
> they are told that they do not play as well as they think
> but that's no reason for honest people to mislead them.

These may be younger players. At my age, you realized your limitations long ago.

> What's so bad about being an intermediate recreational
> player? That's what these guys are. They are clearly not
> advanced in any areas

I think that younger players do have a lot of potential to improve and like a lot of positive and some negative feedback. But in any domain, there are levels of the game that you don't understand or comprehend until you've been doing it for a while and you have a hunger to learn more or get better.

I'd pretty much agree with that...
The guy in the blue would honestly be a really good 3.5 or a really weak 4.0.
The guy in the Red seems solidly a 4.0.

+1 I just watched the second video, but guy in red has a lot of shots and reminds me of one of our club's better 4.0 players but he makes quite a bit of UEs so hard to rate. Blue guy would be pushing it to play 4.0 but would likely be a solid winning 3.5 player. That looping forehand is surely consistently and I don't want to use the P-word, but there are a lot of 4.0s I know here who I believe would exploit the heck out of it. I also didn't see anybody hit an overhead put away or make much of an attempt to approach the net unless they had to so.

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When should you serve and volley in doubles? Only when you want to win.